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Teen To Aid 370 Families

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 16, 2008

LAKE MAGDALENE - Jonathan Freeman, 14, of Lake Magdalene, plans to demonstrate Friday that one person can make a difference in the lives of many.

During his bar mitzvah last year he announced his plan to create "Kits for Kids" - backpacks filled with basic back-to-school supplies for children in real need.

On Friday, he and friends plan to assemble 370 kits for families of the Florida Kinship Center. The event will be held at the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, 1002 E. Palm Ave. in Tampa.

Freeman raised more than $3,000 to purchase the backpacks and school supplies to assemble the kits. Fujifilm donated a disposable camera for each kit, American Apparel donated shirts and LRI donated sunglasses.

The Florida Kinship Center supports caregivers who have the responsibility of raising children (often grandchildren) thrust upon them, according to a news release about the event. Because they are not legal guardians, they often do not qualify for many resources in the child welfare system, the release states. These families must personally deal with both the financial burdens and responsibilities of having a new member within their household. There are approximately 23,000 children living in Hillsborough County who are living with kin, and these families are often stretched well beyond their resources.

A staff report

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